TAWNY OWL. 133 



ties of England, but has not been recognised by practical 

 ornithologists as existing in Ireland. It occurs also in the 

 northern counties of England, but is more rare in Scotland. 

 Mr. Low includes it among the birds of Orkney that are seen 

 in summer, but not in the winter. It inhabits Scandinavia, 

 Lapland, Russia, the wooded countries of the European con- 

 tinent, and is found in Spain and Italy ; it was seen by Mr. 

 Strickland as far to the southward and eastward as SmjTna. 

 M. Temminck includes this Owl in his Catalogue of the 

 Birds of Japan. 



The adult male has the head large ; the beak whitish horn 

 colour : the eyes large and full ; the irides dark blue, almost 

 black : the facial disk greyish Avliite, defined by a dark brown 

 marginal line ; top of the head, neck, back, and wings, a mix- 

 ture of ash grey, mottled with two shades of brown ; a de- 

 scending line of white spots at the edge of the scapulars, and 

 another on the edge of the Aving-coverts ; wing-primaries 

 barred with dull white and dark brown, the wings not reach- 

 ing to the middle of the tail ; upper surface of the tail- 

 feathers barred with two shades of brown, the central pair of 

 feathers being the most uniform in colour. The under sur- 

 face of the body greyish white, mottled and streaked longi- 

 tudinally with pale and dark brown; under tail-coverts white; 

 under surface of tail-feathers greyish white, biirred transversely 

 witli reddish brown ; legs and toes covered Avitli short greyish 

 white feathers ; claws horn Avhite at the base, becoming 

 darker towards the tip. The whole length about fifteen 

 inches. 



The females are larger, and much more ferruginous or 

 tawny in the general colour of their plumage. Young males 

 are for a considerable time, probably till their second autumn, 

 similar in colour to the females. 



